Pain Et Cetera
by Evgeniya
Summary: Adapting a screenplay creates the ultimate challenge for Noah, but it's the way he goes about it that presents quite the dilemma for Wade. Warning: discipline/spanking of an adult male.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** The following story contains spanking/discipline in Chapters 4 and 5. It's strictly disciplinary. Not erotic. This may be an older show, but I still love it dearly! It's one of those truly unforgettable programs. As a result, you can also find a drawing for this story on my Deviant Art account. :)

**Summary:** Adapting a screenplay creates the ultimate challenge for Noah, but it's the way he goes about it that presents quite the dilemma for Wade. **Warning:** discipline/spanking of an adult male.

* * *

**PAIN ET CETERA**

by Evgeniya

Noah carelessly scraped his fork against the ceramic plate, easily shutting out all the noises around him. He hardly noticed the whir of the electric juicer behind him or the shatter of glass as Ricky dropped another eight ounces of orange juice in his hung-over state. He faintly heard Ojemodupe's name mentioned as Chance asked Alex for the millionth time to stop referring to him as _baby OJ_. Noah couldn't absorb much, but it was very likely the same conversation they had the last time and even more likely followed by the same eye roll…

Today was the first Sunday of the month, so the gang was huddled together for their monthly brunch. It was undoubtedly as chaotic as ever, but Noah made the special effort to tune out all the ruckus. With Chance, Alex, and Ricky – that was quite the feat. Noah could only hear the smaller, more subtler of noises, such as the soft rip of Alex's warm croissant, the clank of Chance setting dishes, and the crack of ice hitting water as Ricky tried to get over his headache...

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP—

Noah jumped as the oven timer went off. He knew from habit that it meant the biscuits were ready, but as he glanced around the table and at all of his friends, he realized that Chance had been calling out to him for quite some time.

"Noah…" Chance sounded admonishing at first, but he quickly softened his tone when he realized he finally had his friend's attention. "Noah," he smiled pleasantly this time. "I can't help but notice that you're a bit distracted this morning."

Noah's eyes were wide like a deer caught in the headlights as he fumbled for a response. He felt like a student who always crouched down in his seat just so he wouldn't get called on by his teacher. He both hated and cherished that his friends could always tell when his mind was weighed down. While he normally wasn't embarrassed to share every intimate details of his life with his friends, the troubles that cluttered his mind now were too excruciating to put into words.

Noah groaned and buried his face in his hands. That was precisely his problem: he just didn't have the words.

"Have you hit another writer's block?" Chance inquired knowingly.

Noah hesitated as he thought over the situation. "Well… not exactly," he mumbled into his palms.

"It's Wade," Ricky accused flatly.

"It is _not_!" Noah insisted defensively. His head shot up and his embarrassment was instantly replaced with offense

Noah soon realized how easily he became the central focus of their monthly brunch. Again.

It was unnerving and frustrating, but that was an effect his friends usually had on him. Their overprotectiveness of him often teetered on complete annoyance

But their hearts were in the right place. So, Noah took a deep breath. He could feel Chance watching him closely and his friend's endless patience was a quality he didn't always feel deserving of. At this moment, he felt just like a grad student all over again.

"It's a work thing," Noah finally blurted out in order to relieve the pressure of having every eye on him. He didn't want his friends to turn his dilemma into some drama about Wade. His husband felt enough like an outcast already.

The gang collectively groaned. Although Noah was relieved to finally be free of their aggravating gazes, he still immediately took insult. "Well, excuse me if work doesn't come as easily to me as it does to all of you!" he spat. "Not all of us have the luxury of being our own boss!"

Recognizing Noah's familiar unease, Chance acted as any proper professor should. He quickly settled everyone down with just one look. He even waited a moment until he was sure everything was quiet. Then he focused his attention back on Noah. "Are you keeping up with your deadline?" he asked with concern.

Noah winced.

"Noah…" Chance scolded with terrible softness.

"Well… I…" Noah continued to stumble over his sentences, but Chance continued his interrogation anyways,

"Are you not properly motivated?"

Noah exhaled heatedly, but refused to look him in the eye. "Trust me. I'm _not_ the one who isn't properly motivated."

Again, everyone at the table groaned and muttered beneath their breath.

Chance simply ignored all the judgmental grumbles. "I sense this may have something to do with Wade after all," he stated clearly and folded his napkin into his lap. His brunch would just have to wait.

Noah raised an eyebrow at Chance's suddenly curt tone, but still did not look up. Instead, he awkwardly listened to the heel of his boot tapping against the linoleum tile. It took all of his efforts not to face Chance's expectant gaze.

"Fine," Chance sighed irritably. "But if you're not precise, we cannot help you. We need to know exactly what is wrong before we can go on. I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Alex suddenly interrupted and banged his spoon against his mimosa. "Wade _and_ work? Don't tell me you're collaborating on another script! Grrrr, for as much as you two love each other, you just _cannot_ play nice!"

Noah shifted in his seat. "Nooo… We're not working together. Not really. I have a new project. Just me."

"Noah," Chance glowed. "That's fantastic news! We shouldn't be here having brunch at your house. We should be out celebrating!"

Noah again shifted in his seat.

"Wade _and _work…" Ricky reiterated reflectively as he leaned over the table. He smugly mulled over the situation as he gnawed on a breakfast sausage. "I take it Wade is jealous of your newfound fame?"

"That's not it at all!" Noah defended heatedly. Then he quickly calmed himself down. "Besides, '_Fine Art_' wasn't as successful as any of Wade's scripts. I'm nowhere near on my way to becoming famous. Plus, he's the only reason I work at Paramount, so _obviously_ he's _not_ jealous!"

Ricky shrugged, but still continued to look smugly at Noah.

Noah tried to shake off his frustration, but he quickly realized that his friends would never let this go. Even worse, they wouldn't understand. As much as he hoped that they knew each well enough to read minds, he knew that he would just have to explain the situation. In his own words…

His own horrible, unreliable_, _and presently _missing_ words.

Noah bit his lip and dug into his bag. He eventually tossed a paperback novel onto the table. He kept it hidden beside him on the slim chance that his friends would ask him about work. If he had to get through this conversation, he would need the assistance of props.

"Brandy asked me to adapt _that_ into a screenplay," Noah sighed. His tight tone let everyone know he was distressed.

"What is that?!" Ricky asked, sounding repulsed just as much as he sounded intrigued. He dropped his fork along with his breakfast sausage and soon his hands were all over the novel. "_The Bold and the Bound_?" he nearly laughed, but his eyes never left the risqué cover.

Not appreciating his mocking tone, Noah quickly snatched the book away. "Perhaps now you understand what my problem is," he pouted and tried to bury the novel in his bag once more.

"No, give it back!" Ricky said, managing to sound both apologetic and demanding at the same time. Then he grabbed for the book once again. He cleared his throat from the sting of the previous night's whiskey and read the front cover aloud. "Reader's discretion is advised: The following text contains _explicit_ descriptions of romantic activity…"

Ricky's mouth quivered before he could finish the sentence. He bit his lip and raised an eyebrow at Noah, but no one was fooled by his pathetic attempt to hide his laughter.

"I'm sorry!" Ricky finally burst with laughter. "I just… since when do they add warnings to girly romance novels? People pay specifically for the explicity! And who refers to sex as _romantic activity_? Sex is a lot of things, but very rarely is it romantic."

"Shut up and give it here!" Alex seized the book from Ricky and carefully examined the cover. "Grrrr, what you complaining about? I wish they had me reading this smut at work. I have to be more realistic when we talk about romance. I always have to hand out condoms before I talk about…" Alex squinted his eyes just to make sure he was reading the text correctly. "…_fucking a guy with a silver stiletto heel_? Are you crazy?!"

"Alright, enough jokes!" Noah said with a scowl as he reclaimed the book. "I'm sorry I even mentioned it. Let's forget all about it."

"I hope they're promoting safe sex in that thing," Alex continued as he turned his nose up at the novel. "They're gonna need it with all that kinky ass shit. Whatever happened to safe and consensual?"

"It's a fictional story set in a fictional world so that stuff don't matter," Noah mumbled quietly and Chance quickly recognized the sulky tone.

"May I see it?" Chance asked politely. When he caught the younger man's eyes, he smiled warmly at him and nodded. The book was soon in his hand.

Chance casually removed his reading glasses from his front pocket. He cleared his throat and quickly chose to ignore the bare chested man on the front cover. Instead, he skipped the cover altogether and immediately turned the book around and read the description silently to himself. Since Noah didn't seem eager to disclose his precise problem, Chance took it upon himself to read aloud certain excerpts from the summary that stood out to him:

"Colby Stone has a libido that can't be tamed," he began over-maturely. "Suddenly, she meets the handsome and mysterious Garrison Channing and is sucked into his dark world of BDSM. With Garrison's skills and expertise, Colby finally gets the orgasm she's been aching for, but what will be the price for falling in love with this rich millionaire?"

Chance slowly put the book down. For the most part, he fought hard to keep his lips from curling into a goofy grin. In his defense, he was much more successful than Ricky.

"I expected more from you," Noah sighed admonishingly and then once again hid the book.

Seeing how uncomfortable Noah was about the situation, Chance quickly reined in his laughter. "It's not _that_ bad," he firmly assured. "It's a new, sexy contemporary romance novel from a New York Times best seller. If anything, it's an investigation of hegemonic masculinity. You should be honored to have your name on such a project."

"Bullshit!" Noah spat as Chance flinched. "I have to adapt a hit Hollywood movie from a trash novel that was meant to be read once and then tossed?! There's no honor in that! I was supposed to write original stories! Not glorify the growing tendency to commodify sexual relations with women! I never even slept with a woman! I have no idea what I'm doing!"

Chance patiently nodded at Noah. At times like this, when Noah got all flustered, he still saw him as one of his students and he was determined to work it out with him. "This isn't the first time you've been forced to write about a subject you weren't familiar with. What's the real problem here, Noah?"

Noah looked away. He tried to shake away his blush, but ultimately decided that it was best to remain calm and honest. "It's the blind leading the blindfolded," he admitted slowly. "I know nothing about this stuff. I've never been fucked by a shoe!"

"Thank God for that," Alex whispered and stole the last sip of Ricky's mimosa while he was battling his laughter.

"And perhaps that's for the better," Chance encouraged, easily ignoring the snickering from the table. "It gives the audience a fresh perspective. Imagination is a strong resource. You just have to read the book. No one expects you to actually live it."

Noah crossed his arms. He shook his head, but refused to respond.

Chance chewed at his inner cheek. "Brandy wouldn't have given you this assignment if she didn't believe in you," he pointed out honestly.

Still, Noah was silent.

Chance soon raised an eyebrow. "What else?" he demanded.

Noah felt his face go hot. He didn't want to admit it, so very quickly he murmured, "I asked Wade for help…"

Unfortunately, it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"WHAT?!" Every eye at the table was back on Noah and he could feel himself cringing endlessly.

"Relax!" Noah tried to assure. "Wade said **no**."

"Well, I'm not surprised," Ricky huffed. "The man tries something new every ten years."

Chance shot Ricky a particularly reproachful look. Then he turned back to Noah. "What exactly did you ask Wade to help with?"

Noah inhaled sharply. He delayed his answer by scratching the back of his neck. "Well… different things… everything… just... you know."

"Essentially any sex act in the book?" Chance offered knowingly.

"Yeah. More or less. Except for the shoe thing."

Chance sighed and tried to get comfortable in his chair as he prepared his response. "Eddie and I tried that without much success," he admitted softly. "Once the novelty of role play wears off, you're still left with the same, ordinary man that you wake up to every single morning."

Noah grimaced irritably. "This wasn't some desperate attempt to spice up a failing relationship! I asked him for help!"

Chance took a calm breath and ignored the underlying, brutal truth. "Alright. Enough about me and Eddie. How exactly did Wade respond?"

Noah sighed. "He said that sex like that caters to an abusive and intolerant stereotype and that Hollywood movies are becoming an organ of gay propaganda."

The pause lasted longer than he liked. As soon as Noah raised his eyes to question everyone, the group moaned in unison.

"Will someone please tell that boy he's been gay-married for the past year!" Alex shouted. Then he added, "Legally!"

Chance calmly shook his head at Alex. This conversation wasn't about that. "You have to remember, Wade's only serious relationship was to Noah. He's constantly comparing it to others'. He's not as comfortable with himself as we all are. When he feels inadequate, he gets defensive."

"I don't want him to get defensive," Noah declared. "I want him to get assertive!"

Chance carefully laid his hand over Noah's. "You helped Wade confront his sexuality. He _finally_ accepted himself. Let him be comfortable for a while."

"But why does sex always have to be on _his_ terms?"

"Because it's his body, too," Chance answered clearly. "It doesn't matter who's the recipient of these actions. Wade is still involved. If he's uncomfortable performing these actions, then that's the end of it. It may change in time, but for now… it is what it is."

Noah thought it over. "Well, the idea was sort of imposed on him…"

"There you go. Wade probably fears that he cannot possibly live up to your expectations. Let him process the information first. That will give you time to reevaluate exactly what it is you want. Is this a part of your relationship that you seriously want to explore? Or are you just doing this to have some writing material to fall back on? I know Wade will do anything to make you happy. So, if he said 'no,' it's because he knows it won't truly make you happy."

Noah attempted a weak smile. He started to come to his senses, but then Ricky squeezed his way between the two.

"Or maybe…" Ricky interrupted as he slapped Chance's hand away from Noah so he could wrap his own arm around him. "It is possible that Wade's the one who wants to be dominated? You thought you were Colby this whole time, but maybe you're meant to be Garrison in this story. After all, who wouldn't want to be turned into a fuck toy?"

Noah winced. "Um… actually, Ricky… Colby is the one who dominates Garrison. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because there is a hierarchic gender order controlled by the culturally dominant," Chance stated firmly as he quickly shoved Ricky away from Noah. "And _that_ results in the marginalization of subordinate variants, which includes any and all forms of femininity."

"You think I don't know what that means, but in truth I just don't care," Ricky assured proudly. His threw his arm back around Noah's neck and pulled him tight against his cheek. "All I know is: you can _always_ count on your friends. If Wade cannot give you what you need, I'm here for you, babe. Now and always."

Chance groaned. "Oh, God, no…"

"I'm taking you out tonight!" Ricky revealed. "Just you and me! We'll head on over to Pain Etc where you can be a first-hand witness to pain and pleasure!"

"_Pain Etc_?" Alex grumbled. "The bouncers totally frisk your ass with a metal detector out front. I ain't going through that without a shot of something and you know them sex clubs don't serve alcohol!"

Ricky strained to smile. "Well, then you don't have to come!" he hissed between his teeth.

"He's not," Chance answered definitely. "And neither is Noah."

Noah snorted. "What?! Why not?"

Chance blinked his eyes in disbelief. "Noah… you just cannot go to a sex club without asking Wade first. That's… a notion that is completely _inconceivable_ to me."

"He'd just say no!"

"All the more reason to tell him," Chance said simply. "Your relationship was already destroyed once by deceit and secrecy. When you two entered a partnership, you agreed not to hide things anymore."

"Who's hiding anything?" Noah threw his napkin down on the table. "Wade knows I go to clubs. There's no t there."

"I'm not so sure about that." Chance pointed an accusing finger at the younger man. "You have an ulterior motive for this one and you already know how Wade feels about this."

Noah looked insulted. "Do you really think I'm going to do something I would regret? Or compromise my relationship with Wade in anyway?"

"Of course not!" Chance frowned. "But I know for a fact that Wade would not be happy with you going to a place like Pain Etc. Certainly not at that time of night. Especially after your attack at the gas station. Hell, it's an idea that even I'm not comfortable with it!"

"This place is completely safe," Noah assured desperately. "It's on a crowded, well-lit street and it's not like I'd be there alone. I'll have Ricky."

"Yeah," Ricky smiled and planted a kiss on Noah's cheek. "He'll have me. I won't let anything happen to him."

Chance rolled his eyes in disgust. He already saw the sultry look smoldering in Ricky's eyes and knew instantly he'd bail at the first available leather-clad ass. Chance tapped his finger irritably on the table and asked, "What exactly do you expect to get out of this evening?"

Noah smiled then shrugged. "That's easy. I just wanna look!"

Chance frowned. "This venture no longer sounds work-related."

Noah sighed and looked down at the folded hands in his lap. "I'm admittedly a hopeless romantic myself. I have no idea how regular folks should react to this sort of change. Or how they should feel. I mean, how can an affection as perfect as love blossom from something as ugly as shame or humiliation or restriction? Without the right emotions, I have nothing to base my writing on besides my own misconceptions." Noah paused to take a deep breath. "I don't ever want my scripts to sound inauthentic, Chance. I'm already seen as inexperienced according to the bigwigs at the studio. I only ever had one script go into production. I just can't write a story I feel no connection to."

A small pang of sympathy rushed through Chance. He desperately wanted to console Noah and assure him that he should have more faith in his creative mind, but then his eyes wandered behind the younger man and he saw the dreamy look plastered on Ricky's face. Ricky was itching to go out anyways, and Noah's honest admission simply made him more determined to drag the young man along with him.

Chance knew he no longer had any say in the matter, but he could still prevent Noah from spiraling downward.

"Then I'm coming, too," Chance reluctantly declared. "With Eddie," he added without argument. "Alex? Do you think you could get Trey to come along as well?"

Alex almost burst with excitement. "Grrrrr, you'd be crazy to think Trey would pass at any opportunity to see me don leather in public!"

Now that everyone was in agreement, Noah smiled and looked eagerly at Chance. At moments like this, Chance often wondered if the group's heightened interdependency was even remotely healthy anymore.

"I guess that settles it then," Chance sighed grudgingly. "I'll see you all tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

The gang was greeted at the door by two very shiny men dressed only in leather hot pants. Alex had a similar outfit of his own. It was something that Trey picked out for him just weeks before. Ricky had a mesh tank and Noah felt instantly out of place in his long sleeved, asymmetrical sweater. Luckily, Chance stayed close to him. With Chance in a button down and tie, Noah didn't feel so overdressed.

"Where's Eddie?" Noah asked casually to distract himself from his surroundings.

"We couldn't find a sitter," Chance explained dismissively, but Noah knew that really meant Eddie couldn't care less.

Of course, Noah couldn't dwell on that for long. Suddenly, a waiver was pushed in front of his face and he tripped over the technical writing.

"It's not too late to turn back," Chance informed when he saw Noah struggling to understand the legal jargon.

Refusing to admit defeat so soon, Noah grabbed a pen and immediately signed it. Who cares what it said? "I'm fine!" he insisted and then paid the entrance fee.

Noah was soon pushed inside, but he instantly stopped short at the scene. The first thing he saw was a man spread across what looked like a pommel horse. He was wearing some sort of latex bodice that stretched across his well molded muscles. Another man whipped his back right down to his calves. After several repetitions of that, a group of naked men charged in to massage oil into his red flesh. The way the oil glistened made his skin look that much rawer. Even though they all composed themselves with nothing short of complete self-confidence, Noah still found himself blushing painfully.

"Is this what happens in the book?" Chance whispered quietly into Noah's ear.

"The book gets pretty hardcore," Noah promised. "But reading about it is _nothing_ like seeing it."

A loud zap distracted his attention from Chance and Noah immediately turned around to see a group of men assaulted by a violet wand.

"It's electroplay," Chance explained on cue. "It stimulates the nerves of the body through low current electricity. It may look harsh, but it actually has a range of stimulations to make one tingly."

The electrical sizzle soon disappeared into the industrial goth music that blurred throughout the club. Noah licked his lips uneasily. "And here I thought Ricky would have been the expert on this."

"Oh, I'm sure he is," Chance sighed.

Noah continued to look around the dungeon. He was surrounded by all sorts of strangers. Some were completely naked. Others were fully dressed. Most people chose to stand back and watch, but there were still many who openly participated. Not being able to escape these insistent and terribly public sexual acts, Noah immediately realized that it violated all his personal philosophies concerning intimacy.

He suddenly found himself watching the man he originally saw on the pommel horse. His play partner was now helping him to stand. For a moment it looked sweet, but then the guy eventually attached some sort of bar to the other man's ankles and he was soon bent back over. Noah sighed.

"Do you think they even know each other?" Noah asked regretfully.

Chance followed Noah's eyes and examined the pair. "Most definitely. In fact, I'd say they're celebrating their anniversary."

Noah's eyes widened hopefully. "Really? How can you be so sure?"

Chance smiled at Noah's unabashed innocence. He knew his friend well and remembered the speech he made at brunch about longing to write a script filled with affection and emotion. Noah truly was doomed to forever be a hopeless romantic. He didn't belong in a dungeon where it could be a cold and detached place for a pair of new eyes. So, Chance would do his best to shine some light on the aspects Noah needed to see, even if he had to lie a little.

"I saw them smiling at each other while he was whipping him," Chance answered. "Just a silent, little exchange between the two of them. It's something only those in a committed relationship can spot. Don't you ever smile or roll your eyes at Wade when you think no one is looking?"

Noah grinned. "All the time."

"Exactly."

Chance felt better knowing that Noah wasn't as uncomfortable as he was when he first stepped in. Now that the younger man was feeling a little more at ease, Chance decided it was time to initiate a conversation.

"When you told us this morning you were adapting that book into a script," Chance started slowly, "I immediately took it upon myself to read the first few chapters."

Noah looked up at Chance's revelation and eagerly anticipated what he had to say.

Chanced cleared his throat, but continued to look at the display across the room. Overall, he seemed disinterested by the scene as if he saw it all before. "I ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting," he confessed. "The characters of Garrison and Colby had no interest in breaking down the public/private barrier imposed by society. What they did was exploitive, but also secretive and personal. They spent the entire book hiding this secret life. Hell, they even spent half the book hiding this forbidden urge from themselves!"

Finally, Chance met Noah's eyes and Noah looked remarkably young. He knew his friend well enough to know that no book could ever influence his relationship and make him happy. After all, Chance had tried the same path himself and failed. If Noah ever truly wanted some insight, it would have to be something that he and Wade discovered together.

"To surmise, you won't find what you're looking for here," Chance clarified.

Noah frowned. Even though he knew Chance was a remarkably kind man, something about that last sentence bordered on condescension in his mind. His eyes fell to his feet and he examined his boot on the red, tiled floor. There was a used condom only a couple of inches away, so he took a step back.

Finally, he looked up and said, "It's all I have to work with."

Chance smiled weakly. Since Wade was disapproving of any and all forms of research on the subject, Chance knew Noah thought he had no other choice. It was a mistake he would have to make on his own.

"Fine," Chance replied sadly. "You go and see what you need to see."

Noah inhaled a sharply. There was a dangerous spark in his eyes now. "Okay. I will!" he threatened.

When Noah realized that Chance had nothing left to say, he took his first solitary steps into the club. The air was a little thicker. X rated movies played on the HD monitors, but who in their right mind would watch a video when there was a live sex show right in front of them? The light was unflattering and the scent was too thick with citrus disinfectant. The wide open play space let Noah see everything, which unfortunately meant he saw Ricky hunting down his first young prey of the night and oiling him up underneath the harsh lights.

"Ew," Noah squeaked. He's seen Ricky take strangers home before, but at Pain Etc, he didn't have to bother going home. He probably wouldn't even bother going to the back room.

Noah turned to his left and saw Alex and Trey grabbing a handful of bamboo skewers and heading off to a private room. Noah didn't even want to know what they intended to do with them, but a violent flash across the monitor screens told him exactly where Trey and Alex got the idea from.

"Ew!"

Noah instantly realized that he was surrounded by scenes that he didn't care to witness. He certainly didn't want to see his friends play out the fantasies he begged Wade to do. And since his friends all scattered, he didn't know how to look for the intimacy between the strangers that encircled him. He felt as detached to the dungeon as he did to the book. Chance was horribly right. The emotions he felt here were not going to help his writing. He was almost afraid to turn around and see what new scene would greet him.

"Don't worry," Chance comforted as he slung an arm around Noah's shoulders. "You still have me."

Noah sucked in a relaxing breath and smiled warmly at his former professor for a moment. "Thanks, Chance."

Alex, Trey, and Ricky may have been long gone, but Noah still had one friend he could count on.

Chance looked around the dungeon once more. The only refreshments allowed were ice water and lemonade. "How about we get a coffee?"

Noah wavered, but he ultimately accepted that his pain threshold was too low and his privacy needs were too high to possibly stay in a place like this. That was something Chance remarkably knew all along.

"I could really use that coffee right now," Noah finally agreed.

Chance squeezed Noah's shoulders tighter and led him out of the club.

**¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)**

Noah clung tightly to his sweater and Chance warmed his hands in his pockets. The streets were cold at night and the two friends hurriedly ordered their coffee through shivering breaths.

Once they sat down, Chance allowed themselves a couple of moments to warm up with their drinks.

"People transmit sexual signals across a wide range of frequencies," Chance finally said once he could no longer see his breath in the air. "You cannot possibly understand them all, let alone experience them. The best thing you can do is understand the characters of Colby and Garrison. I can't say how realistic they are, but the author did try his best to describe their dynamic. They're not real people, so you cannot compare them to you and Wade. You simply won't have the same results."

"I guess they're a little out of my comfort zone anyways," Noah mumbled as he squirmed in his seat. Clearly, that didn't need to be said. It was dreadfully obvious after the way he eagerly fled the club.

"Look at it this way," Chance ordered kindly, "You only wanted these emotions to further the believability of your script. With or without it, your relationship still remains the same. Now… isn't your commitment to Wade much more important than some job at Paramount?"

Noah looked down shamefully. He couldn't believe he actually tried to drag Wade into his troubles. "You're right." Noah eventually looked up and smiled. "You're absolutely right. I was stupid. It's just that… Wade got me that job at Paramount, so I always feel like I'm failing _him _whenever I don't succeed. But that's stupid, right? That's crazy?"

Chance grinned approvingly. "Absolutely."

"I mean, I should be in charge of my own sex life. I can write the thing without experimenting with Wade. Right?"

"Perhaps." Chance studied Noah for a moment. "The real question is: can you finish it before the deadline?"

Noah choked on his coffee, but then he laughed when he saw Chance smiling back at him. "That's an entirely different problem!"

"It is _not_!" Chance joined in on the laughter. "You allowed yourself to get distracted. Sometimes I think you invent these ridiculous problems just as a way to procrastinate."

"I…"

Chance raised a knowing eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I don't!"

Chance frowned mockingly and stood away from the table. "Let's get you home so you can work on that script. Alright?"

Noah rolled his eyes, but he immediately followed Chance. "But it's too late to write anything now!"

Chance pushed Noah out the door. "You don't have to write anything tonight. I can tell you could use a good 8 hours sleep. Or more! That's a form of procrastination that might actually benefit you."

"Sleep. Yes!" Noah agreed and continued to laugh as his friend walked him home.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Chance and Noah were still joking and laughing as they approached Noah's home. There were some failures of the night, but at least it would make one interesting memory for them to chuckle over at their next brunch. After Chance had been so kind, Noah was almost disappointed to leave him. It still seemed like the night shouldn't end just yet.

Noah had his hand on the doorknob, but suddenly it was ripped away from his grasp.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Wade blustered before them. He stood right in front of Noah and his eyes were burning into the younger man.

Noah stuttered at the interruption. "I… what?"

"Your damn cellphone wasn't on," Wade stated accusingly.

Chance looked over at Noah. He knew his friend wanted to hide his trip to Pain Etc, but he assumed Noah would have had the common sense to come up with some sort of cover story. It wasn't like him to leave Wade home alone wondering where he went. Noah was usually very good at remembering to leave a note.

Wade's nostrils flared slightly when he realized Noah would say nothing. He slowly turned his dark eyes at Chance. "Where was he?"

Chance swallowed and bit his lip. He looked over again at Noah.

"Stop it, Wade," Noah insisted. He just couldn't let his friend lie for him. Or lie to his husband for that matter. "I was at Pain Etc."

Wade turned around with disturbing slowness and Noah prepared himself for the impending roar. When Noah heard nothing, he cracked one eye open. His husband may not have uttered a single word, but the accusation in his eyes was weighted in steel.

"I'm sorry!" Noah declared earnestly.

"The sex club?" Wade whispered in horrifying faintness. "The BDSM sex club? Noah, I thought we've been through this!"

Noah felt his chest pinch. "It's not what you think!"

Wade clenched his jaw and shook his head angrily at Noah. He was furious that his own husband would go behind his back to investigate some strange, obsessive curiosity. He growled and flexed his fists, but he came to an abrupt halt when he noticed what Noah was wearing.

"You wore heels?" he spat like an accusation. "How the hell did you expect to run away?!"

Noah stumbled backwards for a moment before ultimately deciding that he was insulted by the inference. "Run? Run from what, Wade?"

Wade gritted his teeth. He didn't want to say it. He just nodded towards the house. "Get inside," he ordered.

Noah crossed his arms. "No."

"Noah, just do it," Chance asked softly. Confusion and bitter frustration had fused into a dangerous flame in Wade's eyes and Chance knew he needed to smother that fury before he would be capable of talking to Noah.

Noah blinked. "What?"

"Noah, _get inside_," Chance repeated tightly.

Noah snorted at first, but then he looked at the two most important men in his life and realized he was outnumbered. He angrily stomped his booted foot and resentfully stormed inside.

Now that Noah was gone, Wade turned his anger back towards Chance. The other man didn't care for the closeness, but he had to resist the sudden urge to back away. Wade's face was firm with grim intensity, but there was a jerky pattern to his breathing. Chance realized that the man who stood before him wasn't enraged. What surrounded Wade was a sense of _fear_ and Chance felt his own breath stop.

"Oh, Wade, no," Chance whispered. "No."

"No what?!" Wade pushed himself as close to Chance as he possibly could, but the other man barely flinched this time.

"Noah was perfectly safe the entire time. He never left my side. I would never let him."

That statement only seemed to spark more fury in Wade's eyes. "You? As if you could protect him? You and your sissy ass? You must be shitting me. Noah was already put in the hospital once! How many times do you think he can get his teeth kicked in and survive? I damn well ain't gonna let him find out!"

"As well you shouldn't," Chance tried to say calmly. "We're all looking out for Noah. You never need to worry about him when he's with us."

Sadly, that seemed to hit another nerve. "You and your damn friends are always getting Noah into trouble. I keep praying for the day he gets sick of you fools and branch."

Chance studied Wade through a sidelong glance. "Do you really think Noah would be better off without us?"

"He sure as hell would be better off without Ricky!" Wade proclaimed brutally. "Whose idea was it to go to a sex club anyways?"

Chance sucked in a breath and Wade immediately rolled his eyes.

"Goddamn it!" Wade swore and kicked at the front door.

"In all fairness, Noah did come to you for help _first_." Chance prepared himself for the wrath that statement would ignite. "Tell me, did you even bother to read the book?"

"Hell no!" Wade spat. "Like I told Noah, I'm not down with that!"

Chance sighed. "Down with what? Even at a first glance you would see that the book is _not_ overtly sexual. Most of the time it doesn't even involve sexual touching."

Wade dismissed him with an angry shrug. "Still sounds like some sort of pervert handbook to me. I love Noah too much for that."

Chance stared at Wade for a moment. He had a dark, brooding quality to him and Chance immediately understood why Noah likened him to a hero in a romance novel. He had a stubborn passion for the person he loved.

So, with a sigh, Chance removed the book from his back pocket and handed it to Wade.

"Sex clubs are exciting, but they can also be a clogged drain of anonymous self-hate," Chance admitted. "You've seen how unhappy and empty Ricky is, so maybe you already guessed that. But I knew Noah wouldn't even last five seconds observing that place and I was right. What he was looking for was the intimacy he has with you. Whatever misconceptions you have about this book is just that: misconceptions."

"Your point?" Wade barked.

Chance simply tapped the book. "There _is_ something there for Noah. For you _and_ Noah actually. All you have to do is take the time to read it. Once you do, I'm sure you'll understand."

Wade looked indignantly at the book. His lip twitched into a familiar warning. "I think I have a better understanding of our relationship than you."

Chance nodded. "Then you already know how important this is to him."

When Wade narrowed his eyes at him, Chance suspected that he did not have a great amount of patience left for this conversation. He certainly didn't seem impressed by the bare chested model on the cover.

"Will this make me regret being literate?" Wade asked.

Chance looked up and realized that Wade was actually making a joke. The anger in his eyes had vanished so quickly. He wondered when it was replaced with sensibility.

"Oh, you will," Chance promised good-naturedly. "But I think that's a risk you're willing to take for your husband."

Wade tightened his jaw. He was still unhappy, but Chance could tell he was trying.

"Out of all of Noah's friends, you're the only one I can tolerate."

Chance tilted his head in surprise. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I suppose I ought to familiarize myself with Noah's work anyways." Wade tested the weight of the book in his hands. "Noah… he… he's only ever been to a sex club once before…"

Chance raised his eyebrows and put together another piece of the puzzle. "I'm surprised you would succumb to such foolishness."

Wade drummed his fingers along the book. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Like I said," Chance explained, "Noah didn't even last five seconds. We spent the entire night at a coffee house. The thought of touching another man never even crossed his mind. The sight of strangers having meaningless sex _literally_ made him flee. For Noah, this wasn't about sex. He wanted to be taken out of his comfort zone. Once that happened, well, he didn't like it. I actually think he realized how uncomfortable he made you feel when he first brought up the subject."

"_The subject_," Wade snorted beneath his breath. "You make it sound so technical. Call it what it is."

"And what is it?"

Wade rolled his eyes and his grip around the book tightened. "I guess I gotta read this to find out, right?"

Wade continued to grumble at the thought. His fingers kept flexing around the book cover. Eventually, he looked across at Chance. "Thanks, man, for bringing Noah home safely. I really mean that."

"Always." Chance could see the memories of Noah in the hospital reflected in Wade's eyes. Keeping Noah away from pain was something that was important to all of them.

Chance eventually shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Well… I guess I should be heading back home. My husband and daughter have been long asleep by now and you have some reading to do."

Wade rubbed his chin. "Yeah."

"Yeah…" Chance nodded one last time and then he turned around and walked away.

Wade watched him as he disappeared into the night. Once Chance was gone, he retreated back inside.

All of the lights were still one. He flicked them off one by one until he entered the bedroom. Noah was already undressed and underneath the covers. He was waiting in disgrace for his husband to return.

"Wade, I am so _sorry_," he announced as soon as the other man came into view.

Wade rubbed his eyes, struggling to think of something to say. "We'll talk tomorrow."

Noah frowned and just watched as Wade undressed. "Are you very mad?"

Wade considered that over a deep breath. He stiffly settled into the bed beside his husband. "No, baby. I ain't mad."

Noah felt his pulse quicken. He never liked it when Wade avoided conversation. "But we _will_ talk about it tomorrow? Right?"

"I _said_ we would. Damn!"

Noah winced and pulled the blanket to his chin. "I just… I feel _real_ bad, Wade."

This time, Wade slanted him a smile. "No worries. I just know we're both tired. The fate of the world ain't in jeopardy yet. This can wait until morning."

Noah felt almost guilty for being relieved, but it was a major consolation that Wade wasn't blowing up at him. Still, his husband lay as far away as he could on the opposite side of the bed.

"Can I rest my head on your shoulder?" Noah asked cautiously.

Wade grunted. "Baby… do you even have to ask?"

Noah didn't bother to answer. He just leapt towards his husband and snuggled tightly against him.

Wade felt the wind knocked out of him as Noah landed on his chest. Adoration instantly lit up in his eyes and he squeezed the smaller man tighter to him. He shimmied a bit so he could reach down to the floor and grab the novel. He continued to rub Noah's back as he tried to read with one hand.

"I don't fucking believe this," Wade muttered beneath his breath when he realized Chance had dog-eared specific pages for him to read. "That condescending little shit!"

He instantly whipped the book back to the floor and Noah's head shot up.

"What's wrong, Wade?"

"I don't want you hanging out with Chance no more," Wade answered heatedly. "All he does is make you doubt our relationship. Him and those other two idiot friends of yours."

Noah smiled and settled back against Wade. He's heard this argument before and knew Wade had already accepted that Alex, Chance, and Ricky were a part of their lives forever. "They're just looking out for me. That's something all four of you have in common."

The thought of having anything in common with those morons made Wade sick. "Christ."

"They can be just as overbearing as you are. I don't know about you, but I feel blessed to have four men who will always have my back. Most people aren't that lucky."

"That's for damn sure."

"You love them for wanting to protect me, don't you, Wade?"

Wade's face twisted in disbelief as Noah looked up at him with his doe eyes. "Damn. Fine! I love them! Just go to sleep."

Noah smiled and choked back a laugh. Wade groaned his irritation, but simply turned off their bedside lamp. He could still hear Noah's muffled laughter.

After some time had passed, Wade realized that he wouldn't be able to sleep. He sat in the darkness with the weight of Noah's slender body on top of him. He ran his hands slowly up and down the length of his upper body. Wade felt unstoppable and strong while holding his lover all warm and secure against him. This closeness always made them both feel safe. He only wished this had been the beginning of the night instead of the end. He spent too much of the night worrying about his husband.

Once Wade felt Noah's body go completely still and heavy, he dug for the flashlight in the bedside drawer and retrieved the book from the floor once again.

Wade instantly found himself exhausted like before. Chance had not only dog-eared the pages. He also highlighted specific passages from the text and wrote notes all along the margins.

"I'll kick his ass," Wade promised quietly into the darkness.

However, he continued to read each and every word that Chance wrote.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning:** This chapter contains a descriptive scene of spanking/discipline.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Noah woke up to find the bed beside him empty. He was concerned at first, but then he heard the noises from the kitchen. He recognized it as Wade's usual grumbling and cursing as he tried to prepare breakfast by himself.

Rubbing his eyes, he slowly followed the obscenities. He came just in time to see Wade nursing a burnt finger and he secretly hoped nothing was broken.

"I'm sorry, babe, did I wake you?" Wade asked as he hurriedly tried to clean up some of the mess. "I wanted you to sleep in."

"I slept enough," Noah assured. Wade pulled out a chair for him and he instantly sat down. He didn't know what he did to deserve a homemade breakfast, but he wasn't about to argue. Anything was better than the dreaded _silent treatment _that he should have had coming.

"Where's _your_ breakfast?" Noah asked instead of dwelling on it.

"I got some work to finish up," Wade explained simply. "You go on and eat and then you can get dressed."

Noah crinkled his face in confusion, but Wade retreated before he could ask any questions. So, Noah tried to enjoy his eggs and toast as best he could without any company. When he was done, he piled the dishes in the sink and went to find Wade.

"No, you go get dressed," Wade ordered when Noah tried to join him in the living room. "Then we talk."

Noah's expression withered. "Oh."

The younger man instantly felt his stomach wobble. They had gone to bed so pleasantly that Noah naturally assumed that Wade had already moved past the events of last night. Obviously, Wade was serious when he promised they would talk later. Dreading that discussion, Noah nervously went through his entire morning bathroom routine as slowly as he could and then got dressed.

Noah stepped before Wade in the living room. His boots nervously clicked against the hardwood floors. He and Wade have never gone through a serious discussion that didn't end with shouting, but this time Noah knew he was in no position to yell. He deserved to hear everything his husband had to say.

So, Noah lowered his eyes shamefully. "I don't think I can say I'm sorry enough," he admitted softly, but it was clear that he was willing to apologize infinitely.

"I know," Wade agreed and took a couple of slow steps towards Noah. "We just need to get a few things sorted out."

"I never want to make you unhappy."

"Noah…" Wade sighed. "I would only be unhappy if you were dishonest with me."

Noah sucked in his breath and cringed. He could hardly look his husband in the eyes now, but Wade suddenly grabbed his hands.

"Despite what you think, I _am _over Malik," Wade promised while squeezing Noah's hands a little tighter. "I don't want to seem like I'm constantly holding that over your head or constantly punishing you for some mistake you made in the past, but… I don't ever want you visiting any sex clubs neither. Even if it's research. That's not cool with me even though I do _trust_ you."

"It was a one time thing—"

"That's not too much to ask for, is it, Noah?" Wade interrupted quickly so his husband would know he wasn't interested in hearing anymore excuses.

"No, it isn't," Noah agreed and felt his eyes glisten. "I know you don't want to hear another apology for that. The only way I can prove I'm truly sorry is through my actions. I should have _never_ gone to Pain Etc. It doesn't matter why I went there. I knew it was wrong and I will _never_ make that mistake again."

"Thank you, baby."

Noah smiled as Wade rubbed the top of his hands with his thumbs. This discussion wasn't quite the ordeal he thought it would be. They seemed to be understanding each other.

Unfortunately, Wade took a deep breath and Noah knew he was preparing himself for a statement of great importance.

"You lied to me last night," Wade stated firmly and Noah wriggled disgracefully in his hands. "You snuck around behind my back. You thought it was okay because you laughed about it with your friends. I know you like hanging with these guys, but I'm the one who's constantly knocked around."

"I didn't mean—"

"Noah," Wade shook the smaller man's hands to maintain focus. "A part of me died when I saw you lying in that hospital bed. I'm your _husband_. That means I will always love you and protect you and take care of you, but dammit, Noah, sometimes you make it so dang difficult."

"Wade—"

"No," he scolded. "You cannot lie about where you go. Not ever. If you were ever in trouble, I wouldn't even know where to look. I only know those clubs you introduced me to and Pain Etc sure as hell wasn't one of them."

Noah nodded miserably. "Yeah, that's one of Ricky's."

"I know," Wade acknowledged. "But then again, I don't know. I would never know if you were hurt or wounded until I get that dreadful phone call again. And I can't ever get another phone call like that, Noah. I can't hear a bunch of strangers telling me my husband is lying beat up in some emergency room. You cannot lie about where you're kickin' it or who you're kickin' it with. You got that?"

Noah closed his watering eyes and very gently nodded his head in agreement. "Chance already lectured me about that. I shouldn't have tried pressuring you and I certainly shouldn't have tried using it as ammunition against you. Even when you said no, that was a time for communication. Not sneaking behind your back. For that, I am sorry. I'm so _very_ sorry."

"Apology accepted, Noah. I didn't know you were _that_ conflicted over the script. Starting now, I'm gonna give you all the help you deserve. Exactly what you deserve in fact. I just need to know how much time we got left. When's the deadline?"

Noah cringed back a step and started to nibble on his lower lip.

Wade's eyebrows pinched together. "Noah?"

With all the stealth he could muster, Noah tried to slip his hands out from Wade's.

"I don't think so," Wade cautioned and pulled Noah back in front of him. "Quite fooling around and tell me when it's due."

Noah offered Wade a very innocent, yet very nervous, smile. "Wednesday?"

"In two days?!" Wade barked. Out of shock, he dropped Noah's hands and the smaller man retreated back several paces. "How do you expect to write a hundred and twenty pages in two days?!"

Noah laughed timidly. "I've done it before."

"No, you prepared a pitch before! And that was with _my_ help!"

"And lucky me!" Noah grinned, but still shivered with unease. "You just offered to give me some help again…!"

"Oh, I'm gonna help you," Wade promised dangerously. "In fact, I'm gonna give you what you need _right now_. It's what I should have given you all along."

Without hesitating, Wade charged towards Noah and swung him into his arms. The smaller man was too startled to fight off the manhandling. Wade bent him over and held him beneath his arm and proceeded to spank his backside with heavy, precise swats. Noah's jaw dropped and he wiggled underneath the tight grasp.

"Wade!" he shrieked and kicked. The toes of his boots drummed against the floor.

Wade shifted and wrapped his arm entirely around Noah's waist. He easily hoisted the smaller man off the ground, leaving him to kick his legs in the air as his backside was heated up with rapid blows.

"Ow!" Noah cried at the awkward position, but Wade didn't let go. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…!"

Noah suddenly felt himself planted on his two feet. He was dizzy and the sting in his backside was tingly and persistent. He rocked on his heels as he tried to compose himself.

"Drop your pants," Wade ordered.

Noah gasped and his hands flew to protect his delicate posterior. He stumbled clumsily on heels.

"Now, Noah," Wade cautioned.

"Wade!" Noah whined. He wasn't too embarrassed to pout, but sulky facial expressions were no defense against Wade's brutal strength. His husband snagged his wrist and pulled him several steps closer.

"Get your ass over here," Wade demanded as he took a seat on an armless chair. "Are you gonna drop those pants now?"

Noah whimpered and tested the strength of Wade's grip on his wrist. His husband didn't look very angry, but his face was set in lines of foreboding intent. His grip showed no sign of wavering either.

"Oh, Wade…" he continued to complain and tried to twist out of his hand once more.

Wade's eyebrows rose. That's all it took. Noah recognized the warning. He stomped his feet and petulantly unfastened his jeans as he sulked.

Noah squeaked as he was effortlessly tipped over Wade's knees. He suddenly found himself staring at the floor and his stomach was pressed horribly tight against Wade's thighs. Noah placed both his hands flat on the ground to steady himself while his legs dangled gracelessly in the air. Several gentle, yet extremely alarming, pats were applied to his upturn bottom and he found his face blushing fiercely.

"Now, after our discussion, I don't think we need to talk about why I'm doing this, do I?" Wade asked somberly as he patted Noah's backside a little harder.

Noah cringed at the promise behind each pat. His poor bottom was stingy already. He was thankful that Wade at least allowed him the thin protection of his briefs.

"R-right, Wade," he answered shakily.

"You understand why you deserve this spanking then?" Wade reiterated firmer.

Noah squeaked again at the word '_spanking_.' It was a loaded word that instantly brought heat to his face. He felt so helpless over Wade's thighs. "Oohhh, yes, Wade… OW!"

Noah didn't anticipate Wade to initiate the spanking so abruptly. His backside was instantly set ablaze with fresh, fiery swats. Wade smacked him with such feverish resolve that Noah could not catch his breath. Wade's hand covered every inch of his backside. With Noah's small frame, he couldn't even attempt to wiggle away. He had to remain draped across Wade's thighs as his tender bottom was subjected to more painful blows. Noah felt the tears pool in his eyes and eventually stream down his cheeks.

"Owww!" Noah gasped and gulped. "OW! St- OP! Wade!"

Sadly, Wade was too devoted to Noah to let any pleading stop him now. This punishment was childish already, so Noah refused to add to his disgrace with anymore fretful pleas or cries. He bit his bottom lip to hold back all those embarrassing reactions. But as his backside was endlessly covered in stinging swats, Noah soon surrendered to squealing and twisting over Wade's knees. His backside throbbed between every well placed spank.

Noah yelped and shrieked underneath Wade's awfully firm hand. Every heated spank ignited a new spark in his sore backside. Noah screeched and howled and soon his hand shot behind himself as he desperately tried to save his aching bottom.

"No-oo more," Noah sobbed.

For a moment, the swift and stingy blows stopped. Noah was finally able to swallow mouthfuls of breaths. After a while, he sobbed out a couple more apologies and then he felt Wade's hand on his back, caressing him fondly.

"Hands on the ground," Wade directed softly.

Noah choked. "No… ple-ee-ease! Wade…!"

"On the ground," Wade repeated. "Baby, please don't make me get the bath brush."

Noah sniffled back his shock. Apparently, this situation was able to get much more mortifying. Deserving a spanking was embarrassing enough, but the thought of disappointing Wade even further was much more distressing. Noah had already accepted he deserved this, so now the only thing left to do was submit to it.

"I l-love you, Wade," Noah shivered as he placed his hands back on the ground. He knew it was going to take all his effort to keep himself steady.

"I love you, too," Wade assured and patted Noah's back once more. "Lift up for me, okay, baby?"

Noah moaned woefully, but found just enough resolve to lift up his hips. Wade easily tugged his underwear down to his knees and Noah shuddered at this new vulnerability. His backside trembled as he awaited the next well-earned smacks.

"O-OW! Wa-ADE!" Noah continued to squeal as the spanking resumed just as abruptly as it began. He found it much harder to keep his hands in place. Wade's palm landed with frightful diligence and Noah's cheeks clenched beneath every blow.

Noah continued to cry out small apologies. Every swat still managed to take him by surprise. He was yelping and gulping for each one. Despite his all twisting and his all pleas, Wade proceeded to spank the rounded bottom on his lap.

"You're doing great, baby," Wade praised. "We're almost done."

Noah gritted his teeth and nodded his head. His backside throbbed unbearably.

The swats were more random this time. Noah could feel no discernible pattern. As Wade resumed his stinging rounds, there was no place to target besides already chastised skin. His hand singed Noah's bottom continuously, creating a burn that left the smaller man sobbing and pleading and feeling very, _very_ sorry.

Nevertheless, Wade's hand came crashing down on bare cheeks through all of the tears. Noah's legs kicked wildly in the air. He could no longer keep his hands planted on the floor. They flailed through the air and Noah eventually found himself pushing against Wade's thigh. He choked and bawled as he involuntarily tried to jerk away from every punishing swat.

"Just two more," Wade promised, but Noah could barely comprehend him now.

A fierce swat landed on Noah's right cheek and he shook. Then a matching swat landed on his left and he cried. Finally, Noah collapsed over Wade's lap and buried his face into his hands and wept.

Noah's vision was blurry with tears, but he could feel Wade pulling his underwear back into place and lifting him into his arms. He felt himself carried away and soon he was huddled against his husband on the bed. With great care, Wade unzipped his boots and freed him of his shoes and jeans.

Noah squirmed adorably in Wade's arms as he tried to comprehend the soreness in his backside. With Wade holding him tight and whispering all the sugary affections he needed in his ear, he never felt more loved or more secure. Wade usually ran away from an argument, but this morning he was firm and unrelenting. Noah had never experienced anything like this in his life. He had all sorts of emotions that he didn't know how to describe, but he was determined to put a name to it. Immediately.

Eventually, Noah's tears tapered off and Wade continued to rock him. Even after a mortifying experience such as a first spanking, Noah and Wade still seemed like the same people they always were. Of course, Noah's backside was still very sore, but he had no trouble shifting in Wade's arms and looking him in the eyes. Wade brushed away the lingering tears on Noah's cheeks as he waited for him to speak.

"Why did you make me get dressed?" Noah grumbled and pouted up at his husband. "I still ended up without pants."

Wade grinned endearingly and rubbed his hand down Noah's spin. He savored the shivers that followed. "So you can feel the shame of being undressed," he answered. Then he teased, "Didn't you read the book?"

Noah over-exaggerated his pout this time before he yielded to some giggles. He soon regretted it as his tender backside accidently hit Wade's knee and he hissed.

"Owww…" he whispered pathetically and looked back up at Wade with a halfhearted smile.

"Poor baby," Wade consoled, but grinned even harder when Noah blushed. "You deserved it though. The book just happened to give me the idea."

"Look at you," Noah giggled again and poked Wade several times in the ribs. "That's so cute the way you're being so stern and strict for me!"

Wade caught Noah's wrists with a dangerous smile. "I see that spanking wore off easy. I'll fix that real soon."

"Nooo!" Noah squealed and instantly tried to fight off Wade's advances. Soon he was drawn into Wade's arms and he couldn't escape. He gasped at Wade's nerve to land a couple of playful swats on his still very sore bottom. He was eventually carried away and soon he was plopped in front of the desktop computer. Noah's mouth dropped as his backside hit the chair.

"Wade!" he complained, but his husband simply shook his head.

"Type," Wade ordered. Then he went to shrug on his jacket. "I'm gonna get some supplies."

Noah looked horrified. "_Supplies_? Supplies for what, Wade?"

"Food, Noah. We won't be leaving this house until you finish that script. I want to see at least twenty pages when I get back."

"Twenty!"

"Noah," Wade sighed. "You have two days to write an entire script. After those twenty pages, you're gonna need a hundred more."

Noah frowned and turned back towards the computer screen. But instead of settling in to type, he began fiddling with his cell phone.

Wade was almost out the door when he saw him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Noah preoccupied himself with his cell. "I'm gonna call the fellas."

"Noah!"

Noah nearly dropped his phone. He looked up at Wade with wide eyes. "What? They're gonna want to hear how this played out."

Wade stumbled for words for a moment. His expression was one of complete disbelief. "Absolutely not!"

"Alright," Noah agreed, but he proceeded to play with his phone nonetheless. "I'll just tell Chance then."

Wade looked outraged. "He has the biggest mouth of them all!"

"But—"

"Oh, that is it!" Wade instantly charged back into the house and towards Noah. He ripped the cell phone from his hands and quickly buried it deep inside his jacket pocket. "You just lost phone privileges for the rest of the day."

Noah's jaw dropped. "You can't do that," he stated incredulously.

"Yes, I can," Wade corrected. "Unless you want to find yourself over my knee again?"

Noah blushed at the threat. His tender backside was sore enough against the cushioned seat. He squirmed his embarrassment. "But… I _need _my cell. What if Brandy calls?"

Wade shut his eyes and muttered tiredly to himself. "Fine!" he gave in and handed the phone back to Noah. "But you better promise to keep this between you and me."

Noah smiled and glanced over the computer screen. "Well, it's between you, me, and I guess whoever reads this script."

"That I can deal with," Wade smiled back. He paused to kiss the tip of Noah's nose before he headed out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: **This chapter contains a very brief scene of spanking/discipline.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Chance and Eddie struggled frantically to get the house in order. They were terribly behind schedule and they were still chasing after Kenya to get her ready for her ballet lessons. Chance heard the doorbell ring and jumped at the opportunity to take a break from all the chaos.

He was honestly surprised to see Wade on his doorstep.

"Would you like to come in?" Chance offered politely. He stepped aside to let Wade inside, but Eddie and Kenya were making a lot of commotion in the background.

"Nah, I'm good," Wade assured. "This is just a quick swing by to say thanks. I have to be getting back to Noah anyhow."

"Oh. So… it happened?" Chance cleared his throat. "You actually went through with it?"

Wade smiled halfheartedly and nodded. "That _was_ the point of that dissertation you wrote me, right?"

Chance looked away slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well, perhaps I did go a little overboard. I'm just used to commenting on what I read. I have a lot of years behind me grading papers after all. You want to, um… tell me how it went?

Wade tried to think of the right words. "It was hard, man," he admitted tightly. "It was _very_ hard. But now that I know Noah won't hate me afterwards, it's gonna make the next time that much easier."

That statement piqued Chance's curiosity and his eyebrows rose. "Sooo, there _will_ be a next time?"

Wade just shrugged. He didn't look so sure himself.

Suddenly, Chance's phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.

"Should I expect you to meddle _every time_ I slack off?"

Chance smiled at the sound of Noah's voice. "Is this your way of admitting that you_ were_ slacking off?" he teased back.

"I will never admit to that," Noah laughed. Then he added genuinely, "I just… _thanks_. Thank you for your help. You managed to accomplish something I was incapable of. Even more than that, you saw something that I somehow overlooked. Something that I evidently needed."

Chance chewed his inner cheek as he debated how much credit he should take over the situation. "I will neither confirm nor deny any part you think I had in whatever it is you are referring to."

"Chance," Noah breathed. "I saw your notes in the margins when I sat down to write the script."

"Oh." Chance bit his lip. "In that case, how you feeling?"

"Pretty sore actually. Maybe even a little embarrassed."

"I bet it's going to be uncomfortable to sit for a while, huh? I hope you learned a lesson here."

Wade's ears finally picked up on the conversation. He stepped inside the house and over towards Chance.

"Oh, that had better not be Noah," Wade interrupted and tried unsuccessfully to steal away the phone.

Chance simply batted away his grabby hands. "Wade sends his love," he grinned into the phone. He was surprised to hear Noah squeak and then instantly hang up. He looked towards Wade for answers.

"He won't _ever _learn," Wade clarified and then he shook his head and grumbled. Chance couldn't help but smirk at the scene. Noah was certainly going to be quite the task for Wade.

Suddenly, there was a crash upstairs and Eddie could be heard stomping and complaining loudly.

"I shouldn't have to be the one to dress her!" Eddie shouted crossly. "_My_ job is important! I should have been out of this house by now!"

Chance looked back at Wade and shrugged an apology. "He insisted on signing Kenya up for every activity he could think of assuming that all the responsibility would naturally fall on me."

"How about the next time your man starts acting up, you take your own advice?" Wade offered abruptly.

Chance resisted the urge to blush. Instead, he cleared his throat. "I would be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind," he admitted.

Wade nodded and smiled. Then he stuck his hand out. "Anyways... thanks for your help… and for _always_ thinking of Noah." He shook Chance's hand firmly for several moments and then headed back home to his husband.

**¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)¸.•ˆ¯)**

Wade carried an armful of groceries bags into the house. He frowned when he saw the empty chair in front of the computer. However, on his way to the kitchen, he managed to locate Noah and he smiled approvingly. Noah had moved from the chair to the sofa, where he lay on his stomach and typed on the laptop.

Wade went to work setting the bags on the counter. Shortly, Noah followed after him and he placed his laptop down besides the groceries. He soon started to play with the edges of the brown paper bags.

"Did you get some green tea?" he asked curiously as he curled back a corner of the bag to peek inside.

"Yeah, I got your damn tea," Wade murmured and started to put some items away in the cabinets.

"What else?" Noah started digging through the bag. "Where's the stevia?"

"It's in there," Wade promised.

Noah was shoulder-deep in groceries as he dug inside the brown bag to see precisely what Wade had brought back. He had just found an item of interest when he was abruptly yanked aside. Wade had a firm hold on his upper arm and he was soon swatting his backside with a wooden spoon. Noah squealed and danced in place as more heat was applied to his already-too-sore bottom.

"Wade!" Noah shrieked in horror.

Wade snapped the spoon against Noah's flinching backside several more times.

"Have a good chat with Chance?" he asked and paused momentarily to hear his husband's reply.

Noah swallowed visibly and then dropped his eyes.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Wade spanked Noah one last time with the wooden spoon. He then set the utensil back on the counter, but kept his grip tight around Noah's arm as the smaller man tried to squirm away.

"Don't you think you should be typing?" Wade asked with incredible sternness.

"Yesss…" Noah grumbled. He rubbed his backside as soon as Wade released the grip on his arm. He instantly regretted not taking the opportunity to put his jeans back on.

"Do you have those twenty pages for me?" Wade asked as he leaned over to examine Noah's laptop. "Noah…" he blinked at the screen several times. "Don't tell me you actually finished an entire act while I was gone?"

"Yep, and I'm almost done with act two," Noah said with a triumphant smile, which eventually turned into a pout as he remembered to rub his stinging bottom.

"Damn. You accomplished all this because of one simple spanking?"

"No!" Noah huffed at the words _simple_ and _spanking_ being used together. There was nothing _simple_ about the ordeal he went through. "I had the script mostly written already," he clarified. "I just needed to go back and add believability to it. Luckily, the emotions are fresh in my mind. And other places," he added quietly as he held his burning cheeks. "The script is finally starting to feel authentic. I think Brandy will truly be impressed by the time I'm done."

"I'm proud of you, baby." Wade leaned in and drew Noah into his arms. Noah pressed his cheek against his husband's and tightly clung to his neck. It always made him warm inside to know he made his husband proud.

"I printed it out for you if you wanted to read it over," Noah offered.

Wade immediately set him down. "I can't wait."

Noah smiled and disappeared into the living room. When he came back, he had a pile of pages in his hands.

"I wrote my notes in blue pen, so you can write yours in pencil," he said as he handed the work-in-process to Wade.

"This is your script, baby, you don't need any notes from me."

Noah blushed, but managed to flash him the most endearing smile. "I still value your input either way. Nothing is more important to me."

Wade grinned back at him. He tilted his head down and rewarded his husband with a very loving kiss. A tremor went through Noah knowing that he always has Wade's support. Plus, the soreness in his backside wasn't nearly as noticeable when his lips were locked with Wade's. Their embrace didn't end until Noah finally pushed him away.

"I'm eager to hear what you have to say," Noah explained. "You go into the bedroom and read this. I'll find a place for everything in the kitchen. Sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful, babe." Wade admired his husband once more before he made that short journey into the next room.

Noah trapped his bottom lip between his teeth and gleefully looked around the kitchen. The groceries were a mess on the counter, but it was so hard to focus when he felt this happy.

Noah knew he would be easily distracted for the rest of the day, so he put away each item one by one. Going back and forth between the counter and the cabinets allowed him the time to mull over the events of the day. It was embarrassing to admit, even just in his head, that he had been spanked – _by his husband_ no less. It was even harder to admit to the feelings that followed, most of which were surrounded by a sense of complete trust and total surrender.

Noah placed the tea in the turnaround cabinet, but he did not turn back to put away the rest of the items. The smile on his face was slowly diminishing. He knew he was not the same man that he was when he first met Wade. Their lives had gone through so many monumental changes and each great step was associated with surrender and trust.

Noah never even knew he had the desire in him to feel completely absorbed in someone's trust. But upon meeting Wade, that desire was suddenly there. It shuddered through his depths until the first time they made love. He felt intensely connected to Wade while Wade unknowingly proved that he could love a man and never stop loving him.

Noah shut his eyes briefly as he remembered how close he came to breaking apart after his attack. Wade was at his side before he could completely crumble. He cared for him and protected him and managed to make one single night perfect again. It was a feeling that he never thought he'd be able to reclaim.

But the consequences of that night still disturbed him.

Wade was wounded in that car crash, but there were so many blameless victims that paid the price for their selfishness. It suddenly occurred to Noah that the deepest terrors of their relationship were diminished through acts of intimacy driven by desperation and fear. The lovemaking that followed each tragedy always left them feeling unusually satisfied, unexplainably safe, and forever in love.

The same could be said after his spanking. He felt a lingering sense of wellbeing. Just like all his memories, whether joyful or tragic, there was an overwhelming feeling of comfort.

Noah opened his eyes again and a few tears slipped out. His mind was so preoccupied that Wade was able to finish reading the script before Noah was even halfway done with the groceries. Wade strolled inside the kitchen with an unbelievably white smile. His grin immediately dimmed when he saw that Noah was unraveling.

"Noah…" he breathed and his fingers flexed angrily around the pages of the script. "Did I _hurt _you?"

Wade's fury was reflected in the sudden darkness of his eyes. He looked prepared to kill himself on command.

But Noah simply shook his head and flung himself into Wade's arms. Wade stumbled back a step, but the fury in his eyes was instantly replaced with relief when Noah attacked him with feverous adoration.

"You loved me all along," Noah whispered into Wade's chest. "Without any fear of consequence."

Wade recognized it as a statement of fact rather than a compliment, considering all the people they hurt along the way. But in the end, it was finally just him and Noah. There was no one else involved to get wounded. The only people to pay for the price for their actions were each other and luckily the affection they had for one another was without limitation. There was nothing they could do anymore that could tear them apart.

So, Wade sighed indulgently and savored the way Noah melted inside the comfort of his arms. It felt as if his shoulder was made for Noah to rest his head there. Wade moaned pleasantly as Noah's hands admired the muscled curve of his back. The embrace was perfectly safe and perfectly protective.

The phone rang behind them several times, but Wade didn't dare leave the luxury of his husband's embrace. His chin was nestled in the space between Noah's neck and shoulder. Soon, the answering machine beeped into action.

"Hey, Noah, are you there?" Ricky's voice echoed from the phone. "Hmmm, you must be busy. I guess you decided to finally sit down and finish that script. Oh, wait…" then he started to laugh. "I guess you won't be sitting down!"

Wade's jaw tightened, but it was hard to get mad when Noah was squeezing his chest tightly. He decided to let it slid and just cherished the way Noah cringed against him. The smaller man was distracted by the call, but he still would not break away from Wade's protective hold.

It was only a few moments later when the phone rang again.

"Grrrr, please!" Alex shouted into the phone. "Didn't I warn you not to mess around with that garbage? I told you those romance novels were as addicting as they are ridiculous! You best not do anything too crazy. And remind Wade he's supposed to worship that precious booty of yours. I'm coming for him if I notice any of your shoes gone missing!"

Wade's eyebrows scrunched together as he was both irritated and confused by the message. Not soon after Alex hung up did the phone ring again…

"Goddamn," Wade grumbled into Noah's hair as he lost patience with all the messages.

"I'm sorry," Noah whispered shyly into Wade's ear.

Wade held him tighter. "No, it's okay, Noah. Maybe, if you can refrain from making any more phone calls that is, you can take a break from the script later and invite them all over for a glass of wine. Discuss what you need to discuss. I'll bounce for the night."

Noah's close circle of friends was certainly dying to invade each other's personal boundaries and Noah admittedly had the urge to share and reflect with his friends. However, the prospect of losing Wade so soon made him shaky. As much as he depended on his friends, Noah _needed_ his husband.

"Promise me you won't go anywhere tonight," Noah said softly as he peered up at Wade. "You're the one I want right now."

Wade made a low rumble of agreement and Noah nestled back into his arms. He felt the soar of delight flowing through Wade at the thought of being needed. It made the embrace that much warmer. As Noah followed the line of Wade's arms with his hands, he eventually remembered the script he was holding.

"You didn't write any notes," Noah said when he took the script and looked it over.

"I didn't have to," Wade declared. Then he pulled Noah back into his arms. He moved him so Noah's back was against his chest. "This is good, Noah," he breathed into his ear. "_Final draft_ good. I knew you had it in you, baby."

Noah moaned pleasantly and rubbed the arms that were wrapped around his waist. "I have you to thank for it."

As Noah reflected over it, it was ironic how he felt so helpless struggling over Wade's knees, yet the spanking helped him gain some control. He planned to explore more of that feeling in act three.

"All I did was give you what you needed," Wade reminded with a smirk. "You needed your man to step in and take charge."

Noah choked out a small gasp of dismay. "Wade!" he whined. "You're not about to ruin this moment with your ego!"

"I'm sorry, baby." Wade then leaned down to kiss the head that was nuzzled beneath his chin. However, he was still chuckling ever so slightly.

Noah momentarily rolled his eyes, but he soon settled back against Wade. He gloried in the moments he could simply take deep calming breaths and relax into his husband's hold. He'd have to finish writing shortly, but for now he could appreciate the simplicity of a quiet, tender embrace. Despite how long he's been married, Noah realized that he could still discover new ways to share his body with Wade.

More importantly, he realized that in any position – it felt good to be in his husband's arms.

THE END.


End file.
